Liner

ABSTRACT

Various devices and methods are disclosed for preventing the spread of contaminants that may be present on devices such as, for example, shopping carts, high chairs, and booster seats. In one embodiment, a box-shaped seat liner with leg openings is placed in a seating area of a device to protect the occupant of the seat liner from contaminants and/or to provide cushioning for the occupant. In another embodiment, a contaminant shield can be placed over the handle of a device to protect against exposure to contaminants and/or to provide cushioning around the handle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. PatentApplication No. 60/410,939, filed Sep. 16, 2002.

FIELD

[0002] The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to liners.

BACKGROUND

[0003] There are a variety of situations in which a child or infant mustbe placed in a seating device that is provided by an establishment forre-use by numerous children throughout a single business day. Forexample, shopping carts in grocery stores and high chairs or boosterseats in restaurants are some typical devices that can be re-used by anumber of children on any given day. This can be problematic in thatchildren, and especially infants, often put things in their mouth orsuck on their surroundings.

[0004] This behavior can be problematic if children that have previouslyoccupied the seating device contaminated the seating device withbacteria or viruses that can be passed on to other children. Variousseat liners have been used to combat this problem. However, each of thecurrently known seat liners suffers from certain drawbacks.

[0005] For example, the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,606and 6,129,148 are generally disc-shaped, which could result in anuncomfortable bunching and/or stretching (e.g. overly tight areas) ofmaterial in certain areas where the child occupant is sitting. Thedevice disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,293 (i) has a complicated designthat could be difficult and costly to produce; (ii) could be difficultto place in a seating device; and (iii) is only designed to be used inconjunction with metallic shopping carts, which eliminates thepossibility that the device could be used in conjunction withnon-metallic high chairs and/or booster seats.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Various embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not byway of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in whichlike references indicate similar elements. It should be noted thatreferences to “an,” “one,” “the,” “other,” “another,” “alternative,” or“various” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the sameembodiment, and such references mean at least one.

[0007]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a seatliner.

[0008]FIG. 2A is a view of the internal side of the back portion of theseat liner of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2.

[0009]FIG. 2B is a view of the external side of the back portion of theseat liner of FIG. 2A.

[0010]FIG. 2C is an alternative embodiment of the internal side of theback portion of a seat liner.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a view of the internal side of the front portion of theseat liner of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3.

[0012]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofa seat liner.

[0013]FIG. 5A shows the seat liner of FIG. 1 disposed within the seatingarea of a shopping cart.

[0014]FIG. 5B shows the seat liner of FIG. 4 disposed within the seatingarea of a shopping cart.

[0015]FIG. 6 is a flow chart for a method of using a seat liner toprotect a person from contaminants.

[0016]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a handle with a contaminantshield placed thereon.

[0017]FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of a contaminant shield for a handle.

[0018]FIG. 9 shows the internal side of an alternative embodiment of acontaminant shield for a handle.

[0019]FIG. 10 shows the external side of the contaminant shield of FIG.9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following description and the accompanying drawings provideexamples for the purposes of illustration. However, these examplesshould not be construed in a limiting sense as they are not intended toprovide an exhaustive list of all possible implementations.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a seat liner is shown.Specifically, seat liner 20 includes bottom portion 22, upon which aperson (e.g., a child or infant) can sit. Although it is most likelythat the embodiments disclosed herein would be used for a child orinfant, it is also contemplated to create the embodiments withdimensions suitable for other applications in which occupants of allsizes and ages could, for example, use the various embodiments toprotect them from contaminants and/or to provide cushioning to a seatingdevice.

[0022] In one embodiment, an edge of back portion 24 is coupled to anedge of bottom portion 22. Right side portion 26 and left side portion28 are each have an edge that is coupled to an edge of bottom portion 22and to an edge of back portion 24, respectively. An edge of frontportion 30 is coupled to an edge of bottom portion 22 and to an edge ofright side portion 26 and to an edge of left side portion 28,respectively. In one embodiment, each of the portions are coupled toeach other so that the angle between each of the portions issubstantially perpendicular so that the seat liner will have an overallbox shape.

[0023] The techniques used to representatively couple the variousportions of the seat liner together depend, in part, on the type ofmaterial used for each of the various portions. Such coupling techniquescan include, for example, stitching, hook-and-loop fasteners, andadhesives. In another embodiment, seat liner 20 includes integralportions such that one or more of the various portions comprise a singlepiece of material folded to define the box shape described above.

[0024] In various embodiments, each of the various portions of the seatliner can have any suitable construction including, for example, foamand/or foam rubber covered in a stain-resistant cloth. In order toimprove durability, the various portions can be quilted together withthe quilting having spacing sufficient to keep the filler material in alocalized region to prevent bunching of the material after prolonged useand/or after washing and drying the seat liner.

[0025] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the top of seat liner 20 isleft open. Front portion 30 includes leg openings 34 suitable for thelegs of a child or infant to pass through leg openings 34. Although twosmall leg openings 34 are shown, it is contemplated that any number(including only one) and size of leg openings 34 may be used toaccommodate the number and size of children placed in seat liner 20.

[0026]FIG. 1 also shows leg protectors 36 that hang below leg openings34. Leg protectors 36 advantageously provide protection for the legs ofthe occupant, who may swing their legs back and forth while seated.

[0027] Left side portion 28 also includes pocket 32, which may be usedto hold items such as, for example, a shopping list, keys, etc. while anoccupant is sitting within seat liner 20. In the embodiment shown,pocket 32 is disposed on an external surface (e.g., not in contact withoccupant) of seat liner 20 so that the occupant cannot easily accesspocket 32 and the contents within pocket 32. In another embodiment, thepocket can be disposed on the internal side of one of the variousportions of the seat liner such that the occupant can easily accessitems (e.g., food, drink containers, snacks, etc.) within the pocket.

[0028] In various embodiments, one or more of the various portions ofseat liner 20 can be joined to other portions by zippers, or any othereasily releasable mechanism (e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners, etc.), sothat one or more of the various portions can be laid flat so that seatliner 20 can be used as a liner to protect the occupant while changingthe occupant's diaper on a potentially contaminated surface. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, dashed lines are used to represent backportion 24 in an open position (see reference character 25) to protectthe occupant during a diaper change.

[0029] Back portion 24 includes seat belt openings 44 so that a seatbelt of a device (e.g., shopping cart, high chair, booster seat, etc.)can be threaded through seat belt openings 44 and secured around theoccupant. In an alternative embodiment, seat liner 20 can include itsown seat belt. FIG. 2A shows the internal side of back portion 24 inisolation and illustrates that more than one set of seat belt openings44 may be used in order to provide a greater range of adjustabilitydepending on the size of the occupant and the location of the seat beltof the device relative to seat belt openings 44.

[0030]FIG. 2B shows the external side of back portion 24 in isolation.Besides seat belt openings 44, loop 46 is provided so that when seatliner 20 is folded for storage or transportation, strap 38 of FIG. 1 canbe fed through loop 46 and fastened back onto strap 38. For example,strap 38 can employ a hook-and-loop fastener system for convenience.Specifically, distal end 40 of strap 38 can include a series of hookswhile proximal end 42 of strap 38 can include a series of loops so thatwhen strap 38 is fed through loop 46, distal end 40 can be joined withproximal end 42 to secure seat liner 20 in a collapsed position.

[0031] In various embodiments, a strap can be used to carry seat liner20 in a collapsed position. For example, FIG. 1 shows strap 31 attachedto left side portion 28 for transporting seat liner 20. The dimensionsand configuration of strap 31 can be adjusted based on whether strap 31will be used to carry seat liner 20 over the shoulder or by hand.

[0032]FIG. 2C shows an alternative embodiment of the internal side of aback portion in isolation. For example, back portion 25 includes seatbelt sleeves 48. Seat belt sleeves 48 can include an opening similar toseat belt openings 44 of FIG. 2A so that a seat belt of a device can befed through seat belt sleeves 48, which can aid in preventing anoccupant from mouthing a seat belt that numerous other prior occupantsmay have contaminated. Although two seat belt sleeves 48 are shown, anynumber of seat belt sleeves can be used. Moreover, although seat beltopenings 44 and seat belt sleeves 48 are shown disposed only on backportion 24, they may be disposed on any suitable portion of seat liner20.

[0033]FIG. 3 shows the internal side of front portion 30 of seat liner20 in isolation. Front portion 30 can include one or more of theattachment mechanisms shown in FIG. 3, as well as any other suitableattachment mechanisms. For example, attachment mechanism 50 is anelongate flexible member with a proximal end coupled to front portion 30and a snap on a distal end to be coupled to a toy, a bottle, a pacifier,etc. In various embodiments, the elongate flexible mechanism caninclude, for example, a cord, a strap, a ribbon, or a strip of material.

[0034] Attachment mechanism 52 of FIG. 3 shows an elastic member (e.g.,a resilient coil) attached to a toy truck. Attachment mechanism 54 showsanother elongate flexible member with a hook-and-loop fastener on adistal end to releasably couple a toy to front portion 30.

[0035]FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a seat liner.Specifically, seat liner 56 includes bottom portion 58, back portion 60coupled to bottom portion 58, right side portion 62 coupled to bottomportion 58 and back portion 60, left side portion 64 coupled to bottomportion 58 and back portion 60, and front portion 66 coupled to bottomportion 58, left side portion 64, and right side portion 62.

[0036] Similar to seat liner 20 of FIG. 1, seat liner 56 includes legopenings 70 in front portion 66, leg protectors 72, and pocket 68disposed on the external surface of left side portion 64. Although notshown in a separate view, back portion 60 may include some or all of thefeatures shown in FIGS. 1-2C, such as, for example, seat belt openings,seat belt sleeves, and/or a loop to be used to secure seat liner 56 in acollapsed position with a strap connected to front portion 66. Moreover,attachment mechanisms, such as those shown in FIG. 3, for example, maybe included on front portion 66.

[0037] Seat liner 56 has some additional features not present in seatliner 20. However, the various features may be mixed and matched in anycombination. For example, seat liner 56 includes flap 76 disposed onfront portion 66 so that flap 76 can extend over a handle of, forexample, a shopping cart or high chair. In one embodiment, flap 76includes elastic material extending along a length, L of flap 76, toform a snug fit around the handle.

[0038] In addition, left side portion 64 can include flap 78, and rightside portion 62 can include flap 80. Flap 78 and flap 80 may also employelastic material to snugly engage sides of a device such as, forexample, a shopping cart, a high chair, or a booster seat. Both flap 78and flap 80 can protect the occupant from touching contaminated surfacesof the device. Likewise, back portion 60 can include flap 74 to cover arear portion of the device. In various embodiments, flap 74 can includeelastic material to snugly engage the rear portion of the device and/orcan have a greater length than flap 78 and flap 80 so that seat liner 56may still be used with devices having a high back. In variousembodiments, the flaps may be contiguous (e.g., flap 76 connected toflap 78) and elastic material may extend continuously through more thanone flap. For example, a single band of elastic material may surroundthe top portion of seat liner 56. Regardless of which flaps includeelastic material, in one embodiment the flaps are configured to snuglyengage the device (e.g., shopping cart) so that it is difficult for theoccupant to dislodge the seat liner from the device by moving and/orpulling on the seat liner.

[0039]FIG. 5A shows seat liner 20 of FIG. 1 disposed within seating area84 of shopping cart 82. Although used in conjunction with a shoppingcart, the various embodiments of seat liners may also be used with anyother device that has a seating area that is suitable to be lined suchas, for example, a high chair or a booster seat. Shopping cart 82 caninclude handle 88 and leg holes 86. As shown in FIG. 5A, leg openings 34of seat liner 20 correspond with leg holes 86 of shopping cart 82.However, in other embodiments, an exact correspondence of leg openings34 to leg holes 86 is not necessary. It is contemplated to use anysuitable configuration (e.g., size, number, and placement) of legopenings relative to leg holes so that the legs of the occupant(s) canbe comfortably accommodated.

[0040]FIG. 5B shows seat liner 56 of FIG. 4 disposed within seating area108 of shopping cart 110. Shopping cart 110 can include a handle, whichis obscured from view in FIG. 5B by flap 76. Shopping cart 110 can alsoinclude leg holes 112. Leg openings 114 of seat liner 56 correspond withleg holes 112 of shopping cart 110. However, in other embodiments, anexact correspondence of leg openings 114 to leg holes 112 is notnecessary. It is contemplated to use any suitable configuration (e.g.,size, number, and placement) of leg openings relative to leg holes sothat the legs of the occupant(s) can be comfortably accommodated.

[0041]FIG. 6 shows a flow chart for a method of using a seat liner toprotect an occupant from contaminants. At block 90, a box-shaped seatliner is aligned with a seating area of a device. The seat liner is thenplaced in the seating area at block 92. In other embodiments, anoccupant is placed within the seat liner.

[0042] Once the occupant is in the seat liner within the seating area, aseat belt of the device and/or of the seat liner may be fastened aroundthe occupant. If the seat belt of the device is used, the seat belt canbe threaded through seat belt openings in a back portion of the seatliner. In another embodiment, the seat belt of the device may bethreaded through one or more seat belt sleeves that can be attached tothe seat liner.

[0043]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of handle 94 with contaminantshield 96 placed thereon. In the embodiment shown, contaminant shield 96is generally elongate and is comprised of a material suitable to protecta user from contaminants on handle 94. As used in reference to thisembodiment, a user may be a person operating a device such as, forexample, a shopping cart and/or an occupant placed within a seating areaof the shopping cart.

[0044]FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of a contaminant shield to be placedon a handle. Contaminant shield 98 includes first end 99, second end103, and a fastener to join first end 99 and second end 103. Althoughany suitable fastener can be used, the fastener shown in FIG. 8comprises male snap members 100 and female snap members 101.

[0045]FIGS. 9 and 10 show an alternative embodiment of a contaminantshield that uses a hook-and-loop fastener to join first end 105 tosecond end 107. Specifically, FIG. 9 shows the internal side ofcontaminant shield 102 with a series of hooks 104 disposed adjacent tofirst end 105. FIG. 10 shows the external side of contaminant shield 102with a series of loops 106 disposed adjacent to second end 106. However,other suitable fasteners may be used along any suitable portion of thecontaminant shield.

[0046] Any suitable material may be used for the seat liners and/orcontaminant shields disclosed herein to help prevent contact withcontaminants and/or to provide a cushioning effect to a device (e.g.,shopping cart seating area and/or handle, high chair seating area and/orhandle, and seating area of a booster seat). For example, material maybe quilted and filled with foam, polyfill, or the like. Moreover,stain-resistant and/or water-resistant material may be used. In variousembodiments, washable fabrics or materials can also be used.

[0047] It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristicsand advantages of various embodiments have been set forth in theforegoing description, together with details of structure and functionof the various embodiments, this disclosure is illustrative only.Changes may be made in detail, especially matters of structure andmanagement of parts, without departing from the scope of the variousembodiments as expressed by the broad general meaning of the terms ofthe appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a box-shaped seat liner having anopen top side and at least one opening to receive at least one leg of aperson sitting within the box-shaped seat liner.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the seat liner further comprises: at least one pocketto hold at least one item while the person is sitting in the seat liner.3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one pocket is disposedon an external surface of the seat liner in order to reduce the easewith which a person sitting in the seat liner may access the at leastone pocket.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at leastone opening formed in the seat liner to permit a seat belt from aseating device to be threaded through the opening to secure the personsitting in the seat liner.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, furthercomprising: a sleeve coupled to the seat liner such that an opening ofthe sleeve corresponds with the opening for the seat belt so that theseat belt can be threaded through the sleeve.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising: an attachment mechanism to releasably attach atoy to the seat liner.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein theattachment mechanism comprises: at least one of an elongate flexiblemember, a hook-and-loop fastener, and an elastic member.
 8. An apparatuscomprising: a device having a seating area in which a person may sit;and a box-shaped seat liner disposed within the seating area of thedevice, the seat liner having an open top side and at least one openingto receive at least one leg of a person sitting within the box-shapedseat liner.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the device comprises:at least one of a shopping cart, a high chair, and a booster seat. 10.The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the seat liner further comprises: atleast one pocket to hold at least one item while the person is sittingin the seat liner.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at leastone pocket is disposed on an external surface of the seat liner in orderto reduce the ease with which a person sitting in the seat liner mayaccess the at least one pocket.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8, furthercomprising: at least one opening formed in the seat liner to permit aseat belt from a seating device to be threaded through the opening tosecure the person sitting in the seat liner.
 13. The apparatus of claim12, further comprising: a sleeve coupled to the seat liner such that anopening of the sleeve corresponds with the opening for the seat belt sothat the seat belt can be threaded through the sleeve.
 14. A methodcomprising: aligning a bottom side of a box-shaped seat liner with aseating area of a device to accommodate a person in at least a sittingposition, the seat liner having an open top side and at least oneopening to receive at least one leg of a person sitting within thebox-shaped seat liner; and placing the seat liner within the seatingarea.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: placing a personwithin the seat liner.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:threading a seat belt of the device through at least one opening in theseat liner; and fastening the seat belt around the person in the seatliner.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: threading a seatbelt of the device through at least one sleeve of the seat liner; andfastening the seat belt around the person in the seat liner.
 18. Anapparatus, comprising: an elongate portion to be disposed about a handleof a movable device to protect a user from contaminants on the handle.19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the elongate portion comprises: afirst end; a second end; and a fastener to couple the first end and thesecond end around the handle.
 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein theelongate member comprises: a cushion.